Google TV & Skype

The world is about to get a glimpse of what kind of impact the Android operating system will have on the television experience with Google TV.

Android smartphones will be connected to the upcoming service, and will become remote, interaction and accompaniment tools. Your Android apps will be accessible through Google TV, connecting Pandora, Netflix, Twitter and Chrome to your collective media experience. Google CEO Erik Schmidt recently told Charlie Rose that he can’t wait to see the innovations from independent developers that will occupy the larger-screened platform.

Neither can we.

Skyping from your television

A great app to tie in with Google TV would be Skype, which officially launched in the Android Market today. Supporting Android 2.1 and higher versions, the new Skype app is available in the U.S. for now.

Google and others prep for profit

Another big update today is GetJar’s new game platform, where you can play thousands of Android games for free. Teaming up with Glu Games, GetJar+ gives you a two-week trial for game play, in their full versions. No ads or registration processes. It’s a model that may bring a new turn in mobile gaming, as marketing is seeking a number of ways to campaign through Android games.

Google executives are excited about the money-making potential of the Android platform, and maybe it will give the company another reliable revenue engine in addition to search.

A recent Businessweek interview with Schmidt revealed that Android’s platform is already generating enough revenue to cover the costs of software development.

He goes on to estimate that Android will eventually become a $10 billion per year business. The goal is to put Android in the hands of 1 billion users, gaining an average of $10 per person. And yet for Google, that doesn’t sound far-fetched at all.